Layout manager
Layout managers are
- Those where the layout behavior is coded in special XAML).
- Those where the layout behavior is coded in layout managers, that can be applied to any graphic container. This is the case in the Swing widget toolkit that is part of the Java API.
Examples
XUL
In XUL, like the vbox container to stack components on top of each other.
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<?xml-stylesheet href="chrome://global/skin/" type="text/css"?>
<window id="vbox example" title="Example"
xmlns="http://www.mozilla.org/keymaster/gatekeeper/there.is.only.xul">
<vbox>
<button id="yes" label="Yes"/>
<button id="no" label="No"/>
<button id="maybe" label="Maybe"/>
</vbox>
</window>
This piece of code shows 3 buttons stacked on top of each other in a vertical box.
XAML
The DockPanel container lays out children components according to their Dock properties.
<Page xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
WindowTitle="myDock Panel">
<DockPanel>
<TextBlock DockPanel.Dock="Top">Top 1</TextBlock>
<TextBlock DockPanel.Dock="Top">Top 2</TextBlock>
<TextBlock DockPanel.Dock="Top">Top 3</TextBlock>
<TextBlock DockPanel.Dock="Top">Top 4</TextBlock>
</DockPanel>
</Page>
This code shows 4 text blocks on top of each other.
Java
The FlowLayout layout manager arranges components in a directional flow, much like lines of text in a paragraph. It arranges components horizontally until no more components fit on the same line, then it places them on another line. Other layout managers are GridLayout managers which arrange the components in grid form and BorderLayout managers which also arranges the component in five parts of the frame, thus: south, north, west, east and center.
import javax.swing.JFrame;
import javax.swing.JButton;
import java.awt.FlowLayout;
import java.awt.Container;
public class Example {
private JFrame frame;
public Example() {
frame = new JFrame("FlowLayout Demo");
frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
frame.setLayout(new FlowLayout());
frame.add((new JButton("Button 1")));
frame.add((new JButton("Button 2")));
frame.add((new JButton("Button 3")));
frame.add((new JButton("Long-Named Button 4")));
frame.add((new JButton("5")));
frame.pack();
frame.setVisible(true);
}
public static void main(String[] args) {
Example ex = new Example();
}
}
This code shows 5 buttons alongside each other on the same line:
